I'm a newlywed with two stepchildren ages 9 and 6 who thankfully are really good eaters (nothing like the picky monster I was as a child!). I enjoy cooking and baking for my family and have been on a kick with trying new recipes. I almost never make a recipe "as written" - normally I will research and read several recipes for a dish, then pick and choose the features I like from each recipe to create my own dish! I have been cooking since college and truly enjoy it. I am currently experimenting with "make and freeze" meals as I work full-time and have a long commute, so getting dinner on the table during the week require a lot of advance prep. I love using my slow cooker on the weekends - nothing better than the smell of beef stew or chicken tortilla soup filling up the house all afternoon! Chicken tortilla soup, spaghetti bolognese, beef stew with red wine, stir fry, chili, and baking - just about anything! Especially my signature frosted sugar cookies. I did not grow up in a "cooking" household...but I do love the spread my mom puts out for Thanksgiving because it's been the same meal every year for 30 years! I am creating favorite meals with my husband and stepkids and I hope that one day my stepkids will ask for my recipes to make for their own families. My 6 yr old stepson is already showing an interest in helping me cook/bake. Any time I elicit "this is good" from my husband, step kids, or mother in law...that is a triumph! :) My stepson and I made banana bread together, but I was out of Pam so I hastily coated the baking pan with cooking oil. When it was time to extract the loaf, I inverted onto a plate...and the middle of the bread came sliding out leaving a big crusty ring in the pan! I quickly cut the innards into brownie-sized squares and passed it off as "banana cake"! :)